Health chair

ABSTRACT

A chair having a contoured portion defining a back rest and a seat. The seat has a central recess extending inwardly from its forward edge of a size and shape to accommodate the upper legs of a person. The contoured portion of the chair is pivotally suspended upon a support member which in turn is supported on a base. The contoured portion is adjustable to different heights with respect to the base. The contoured portion preferably includes a frame and cushions supported by the frame. The chair may be provided with arm rests and lower leg rests. Preferably, the contoured portion is pivotally suspended at its arm rests upon the support member. The contoured portion and the support member are adapted to swivel with respect to the base and means are provided to selectively prevent such swiveling. The chair is particularly advantageous as a marital chair and for persons having stiff or ailing backs.

[541 HEALTH CHAIR [75] Inventors: Casey R. Sirpak; Yarl Pretorius,

both of Cleveland, Ohio [73] Assignee: Casey Sirpak, Incorporated,Cleveland, Ohio 22 Filed: Aug.l1, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 170,738

[52] US. Cl. ..297/282, 297/326, 297/345, 297/349, 297/423 [51] Int. Cl..A47c 3/026 '[58] Field of Search ..297/349, 345, 282, 281, 328,

[56] 1 References Cited V UNITED STATES PATENTS 49,132 8/1865 Mcllroy..297/328 437,235 9/1890 Oswell ....297/327 X 51 Jan. 16, 1973 238,7993/1881 Morgan ..5/69 X 3,041,121 6/1962 Comper ....5/69 X 439,08810/1890 Allen ..297/337 X Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Attorney-RoyF. Hollander [57] ABSTRACT A chair having a contoured portion defining aback I rest and a seat. The seat has a central recess extending inwardlyfrom its forward edge of a size and shape to accommodate the upper legsof a person. The contoured portion of the chair is pivotally suspendedupon a support member which in turn is supported on a base. Thecontoured portion is adjustable to different heights with respect to thebase. The contoured portion preferably includes a frame and cushionssupported by the frame. The chair may be provided with arm rests andlower leg rests. Preferably, the contoured portion is pivotallysuspended at its arm rests upon the support member. The contouredportion and the support member are adapted to swivel with respect to thebase and means are provided to selectively prevent such swiveling. Thechair is particularly advantageous as, a marital chair and for personshaving stiff or ailing backs.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAH 16 1975 3.711.152

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTORS CASEY R. SIRPAK YARL PRFTORIUS b -ll nnt ouolllbm v ATTORNEYS.

PATENTEDJAH 1 6 1975 SHEET 2 BF 3 INVENTORS CASEY R. SIRPAK BY YARLPRETORIUS $04M, am t W ATTORNEYS.

PATENTEDJAN 16 ms. 3.711. 152

SHEET 3 BF 3 I INVENTORS CASEY RSIRPAK y YARL PRETORIUS ATTOR NEYS.

HEALTI-ICHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates tochairs and more particularly to a health chair particularly suitable foruse by older persons, and persons suffering from injuries to orinfirmities of the back or legs.

Chairs have been proposed for invalids or those with serious injuries orinfirmities who require special support of one kind or another. Suchchairs tend to be special purpose chairs and are useful and comfortableonly to persons having a specific serious injury or infirmity which thechair is adapted to support or alleviate, or at least not to aggravate,and are not suitable or desirable for a person with a minor back or legailment.

From time to time almost everyone, and particularly an older person,encounters a back or leg ailment or stiffness that is relatively minorbut which renders it painful to bend at the waist, as in the process ofsitting down or standing up. Other persons, and again particularly olderpersons,'suffer from chronic stiffness of the back and leg joints whichcauses a comfortable chair to be a virtual necessity. Special purposechairs are, however, usually not suited for such persons with relativelyminor ailments.

Many persons with relatively minor ailments find comfort in contourchairs which conform more or less to the curvature of the body and allowthe occupant to assume a reclining or semi-reclining position. Whilesuch chairs are generally comfortable once the proper position hasbeenassumed therein, the process of getting into and out of such a chair fora person with a stiff back or similar infirmity may be quiteuncomfortable.

Another difficulty encountered by those having minor back ailments orstiffness, again, particularly older persons, is in the performance ofthe marital act.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A general object of this invention is toprovide a chair that is comfortable to all and that is particularlyadapted for convenient use by persons having minor back or leg ailments.

Another object is to provide a chair that permits a reclining orsemi-reclining position to 'be assumed therein and which allows seatingand reclining to be accomplished with a minimum of bending and turning.

Still another object is the provision of such a chair that permitssitting with one or both feet on the floor and in an upright orreclining position.

Another object is the provision of such a chair that is particularlysuited for use as a marital chair.

Still another object is the provision of such a chair that iscomfortable in use, simple in construction and economical to manufactureand to purchase.

These and other objects of the invention are provided in a chair havinga contoured portion defining a back rest and a seat, the seat having acentral recess extending inwardly from its forward edge of a sizeandshape to accommodate the upper legs of a person. A support base isprovided for supporting the contoured portion. The recess allows aperson suffering with an ailing back to seat himself directly on theseat portion with a minimum of bending and then to assume whateverposition is desired. The recess also allows the chair to be used as amarital chair, permitting minimum exertion on the part of'an elderly orailing husband.

Preferably, support means are provided between the support base and thecontoured portion of the chair for pivotally supporting the contouredportion for rocking movement in a vertical plane. Means are provided toallow adjustment of the height of the contoured portion. The chair ispreferably adopted to swivel and means are provided for selectivelypreventing swiveling. These features facilitate the act of seating inthe chair by a person having an ailing back and also facilitate use ofthe chair as a marital chair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa'chair embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chair with the DESCRIPTION OF THEPREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, a preferred form ofchair embodying this invention has a contoured portion including a frame10 and cushions supported thereby, a frame supporting member generallyindicated at 12 and a support base 14. Frame 10 is best seen in FIG. 2and is preferably formed of hollow steel stock of rectangularcross-section but many other materials can, of course, be used. Frame 10includes a single member formed into an upper cross bar 16 and two sidesections 18 and 18a. Short cross members 20 and 21a are joined bywelding or in any other suitable way to the inside surfaces of sidesections 18 and 18a and are welded or otherwise suitably joined at theirother ends to a U- shaped member 22. The upper cross bar 16 of frame 10and the side sections 18 and 18a outline'a back rest 26 of the chair andthe side sections along .with short cross members 20 and'21a andU-shaped member 22 define a seat 27 with a recess 28 therein extendingrearwardly from its forward edge. The side sections 18 and 18a alsodefine arm rests 29 and 29a.

A lower leg rest 30 is formed by members 33 and 34 which are weldedtogether as shown at 35. Lower leg rest 30 is pivotally connected bymeans ofbolts 37 or other suitable means to blocks 41 and 42 that areThe supporting member 12 for the frame 10 includes a pair of U-shapedmetal bars 44 and 45 of the same type as the frame 10, the bars havingbase portions 47 and 48, respectively and upwardly extending legportions 50 and 51a for bar 44 and 51 and 51a for bar 45. Eachpair ofleg portions such as 50a and 51a is covered by a sleeve, 57 for legportions 50 and 51 and 57a for leg portions 50a and 51a, of rectangularcrosssection. As shown in FIG. 6, the leg portions are received withinthe respective sleeves and are provided with a series of verticallyspaced transverse holes 58. A single hole 59, 59a in each sleeve 57, 57ais adapted to be aligned with one of the holes 58 to allow a bolt or pin60, 60a to be inserted therein and support the frame at a particularheight. Preferably, there are such holes 58 placed so as to allow therecess 28 to be positioned at heights from 16. to 34 inches above thefloor. Each sleeve, 57, 57a is pivotally connected to a block 61, 61arespectively by bolts 63, 63a. The blocks 61 and 61a are joined to sidesections 18, 18a, preferably by welding. Frame 10 is thus pivotallysupported by member 12 for rocking or pivotal movement in a verticalplane parallel to the side sections 18, 18a and is adjustable in heightabove the floor.

The base portions 47 and 48 of the bars 44 and 45 of support member 12are joined at substantially their centers to a plate 65 (FIG. 3) whichis part of a swivel assembly including upper plate 65, lower plate 66and a bearing assembly 67 therebetween. The swivel assembly includingplates 65. and 66 and bearing assembly 67 is sold as part No. l32l byMiddletown Mfg. Co. Division of Lear Siegler Inc. Lowerplate 66 issuitably connected asby welding to leg members 70 which, together withthe swivel assembly of plates 65 and 66 and bearing assembly 67,constitute a support base for the chair. i

It may become desirable to prevent swiveling of the chair at inopportunetimes, such as in the act of seating and during the marital act. Toprevent swiveling a lock device 71 is provided as best seen in FIG. 5.Lock device 71 is mounted beneath frame support member 12 by means ofbolts extending through a mounting plate 72 and into base portions 47and 48 of member 12. Device 71 has an operating handle 73, a pivotmechanism generally indicated at 74 and an extensible and retractableneck 75 provided with a friction member 76. v

' With handle 73 in the full line position of FIGS. 2 and 5 frictionmember 76-is extended into tight frictional contact with swivel plate 66and prevents the frame and frame supporting member from swiveling withrespect to the support base. With handle 73 in the dotted line positionof FIG. 5 friction member 76 is retracted out of contact with the plate66 so that the chair is free to swivel. The handle 73 is convenientlypositioned to be operated by a person in or out of the chair. The lockdevice 71 is preferably a Model 620 DE-STA-CO clamp manufactured byDetroit Stamping Co. of Detroit, Michigan.

A back rest and seat cushion 82 is placed on frame 10 and securedthereto by a flap 84 on the underside l thereof which encircles the baseof the U-shaped member 22 on frame 10 and is strapped to the under sideof the cushion orotherwise secured to hold it in place. The cushion 82has a back rest portion 86 and a seat portion 87 which is provided witha recess corresponding substantially in size and shape to the recess 28defined by U-shaped member 22 in frame 10. Upper plate 65 on the supportmay also be provided with a leather or cloth covering to improve itsappearance.

It will be apparent that the chair completed as described above andshown in FIGS. 1 and 4 provides restful and relaxing support to anyoccupant and is not confined to use by persons suffering from backailments. The recess 28 does not interfere with normal use of the chairfor ordinary relaxation, the portions on either side of the recessproviding support for the upper portions of the occupants-legs. The legrests and 30a, which can be pivoted to any desired position, providesupport for the lower parts of the legs. The pivotal suspension of thechair frame about the support member 12 allows the chair occupant tovary his position from upright to reclining merely by shifting hisweight. The flexibility or give of the cushions allows an occupant toposition himself higher toward the back rest portion without sliding toa lower-position as would The chair is completed by providing cushionssupl ported by frame 10 as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. Cushions 78 and780 are provided for the lower leg rest 30 and 30a, respectively and areconnected thereto by means of flaps 79 and 79a which encircle the framemembers of the leg rest such as 33, 34 and 33a, 34a and are then snappedor otherwise fastened to the back of the cushion to hold it in place. 7

Arm rest cushions 80 and 80a are provided for the arm rests 29 and 29a,respectively, of frame 10 and are secured thereto by cord for easyremoval if desired.

probably happen in a stiff molded contour chair.

In addition, unlike prior contour and reclining chairs a of which we areaware, a person suffering from an ailment or stiffness of the back orlegs which renders it difficult or painful to bend or change positioncan gain entrance to the chair conveniently with a minimum of bending.This is done merely by the person positioning himself within the recess28 and pivoting the chair about the support member 12 to a convenientposition so that he can seat himself down directly in a straight linewith a minimum amount of bending or stretching. One or both of theoccupants feet can remain on the floor if desired or one or both legsmaybe positioned on the upper leg supporting areas on either side of therecess 28. The height adjustment can t of course facilitate entry intoand exit from the chair since when the chair is properly height adjustedbending will be minimized. Use of the locking device to preventswivelin'g during the act of seating or arising minimizes motion and soalso assists in getting into and out of the chair; Y r

The chair is particularly useful as a marital chair for older husbandsor those having back or leg ailments'or stiffness. When used for thispurpose the wife may recline in the chair and the husband may standwithin the recess 28. In this use the height adjustment and the swivellock are particularly important and advantageous. The contoured portionof the chair can be positioned at the ideal height for the husband andswiveling must, of course, be prevented at this time. When used in thisway the chair allowsolderhusbands not to overexert themselves andremoves the. necessity for painful bending by husbands suffering fromback ailments or the like.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, itwill be apparent that other forms are within the spirit and scope of theinvention and that all the features described herein are not absolutelynecessary for providing a useful and advantageous health chair. Forexample, it will be apparent that the chair could be made without armrests or lower leg rests and need not be capable of swiveling. Inaddition, the pivotal suspension of the chair about the support member,while preferable and highly advantageous, is not absolutely necessaryfor its basic use. The frame could be Supported directly on the supportbase 14 and the chair would .still provide many of the advantagesdescribed above. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the artthat the chair need not be made in a frame and cushion structure butcould be made in a one piece molded form supported on a support base andhaving the recess 28 in the seat portion.

Other modifications and improvements will also become apparent tothose'skilled in the art who come to understand the essential principlesand accomplishments of this invention. Accordingly, this invention isnot to be limited to the form herein specifically disclosed nor in anyother way inconsistent with the progress in the art promoted by thisinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. ln an easy chair or the like, a contoured portion defining a backrest and a seat extending forwardly from the back rest a sufficientdistance to support the posterior and upper legs of a person occupyingthe chair, said seat having a central recess extending inwardly from itsforward edge, said recess being of sufficient depth and of sufficientwidth through its entire depth to accommodate the upper legs of a personfacing toward or away from said chair, said seat including upper legsupporting portions on opposite sides of said recess, arm rests on saidcontoured portion, a support base, means mounted on said support baseand pivotally connected to said arm rests for supporting said contouredportion for swinging movement with respect to said support means insubstantially a vertical plane, andmeans for adjusting the height ofsaid contoured portion.

2. A chair as claimed in claim 1 further comprising lower leg restsextending forwardly and downwardly from said upper leg supportingportions.

3. A chair as claimed in claim 2 wherein said lower leg tests arepivotally connected to said contoured portion adjacent said upper legsupporting portions. I

4. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contoured portion includesa tubular frame defining said back rest and said seat including saidrecess, and a cushion supported by said frame and having a correspondingrecess overlying the recess defined by said frame.

5. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means is pivotallyconnected to said support base for rotation with respect thereto insubstantially a horizontal plane.

6. A chair as claimed in claim 5 including means for selectivelypreventing rotation of said support means with respect to said supportbase.

7. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means is agenerally U-shaped member having a base and two legs, said base portionbeing mounted on said support base and each of said legs pivotallysupporting an arm rest on said contoured portion.

8. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contoured portion includesa tubular frame defining said back rest, seat, arm rests, and'lower legrests, the por-

1. In an easy chair or the like, a contoured portion defining a backrest and a seat extending forwardly from the back rest a sufficientdistance to support the posterior and upper legs of a person occupyingthe chair, said seat having a central recess extending inwardly from itsforward edge, said recess being of sufficient depth and of sufficientwidth through its entire depth to accommodate the upper legs of a personfacing toward or away from said chair, said seat including upper legsupporting portions on opposite sides of said recess, arm rests on saidcontoured portion, a support base, means mounted on said support baseand pivotally connected to said arm rests for supporting said contouredportion for swinging movement with respect to said support means insubstantially a vertical plane, and means for adjusting the height ofsaid contoured portion.
 2. A chair as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising lower leg rests extending forwardly and downwardly from saidupper leg supporting portions.
 3. A chair as claimed in claim 2 whereinsaid lower leg rests are pivotally connected to said contoured portionadjacent said upper leg supporting portions.
 4. A chair as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said contoured portion includes a tubular frame definingsaid back rest and said seat including said recess, and a cushionsupported by said frame and having a corresponding recess overlying therecess defined by said frame.
 5. A chair as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid support means is pivotally connected to said support base forrotation with respect thereto in substantially a horizontal plane.
 6. Achair as claimed in claim 5 including means for selectively preventingrotation of said support means with respect to said support base.
 7. Achair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means is a generallyU-shaped member having a base and two legs, said base portion beingmounted on said support base and each of said legs pivotally supportingan arm rest on said contoured portion.
 8. A chair as claimed in claim 1wherein said contoured portion includes a tubular frame defining saidback rest, seat, arm rests, and lower leg rests, the portions of saidframe defining said lower leg rests being pivotally connected to saidseat defining portion on either side of said recess, a cushion supportedby the back rest defining portions and seat defining portions of saidframe and having a corresponding recess overlying the recess defined bysaid frame, cushions on each of said arm rests, and cushions on each ofsaid lower leg rests.